Iconic pop artist Andy Warhol once famously said that “in the future, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes”. These days, with the explosion of viral video on sites like Youtube, people from all over the world try to not only get famous, but to prolong their notoriety, as well. Such a man is the protagonist of the new comedy web series EVERYONE’S FAMOUS, produced by Walter Forsyth and Angus Swantee, and created by Andrew Bush. The show stars Ryan Beil as Donald, an average man with an average life who puts aside his quest for fame for the stability of his job at a call center, and his relationship with his girlfriend, Judy (Kayla Lorette).

Just as soon as he’s trying to settle down, Donald suddenly finds himself in the spotlight thanks to an embarrassing video that soon becomes the next viral sensation. As a result, Donald tries to capitalize on his new found fame by creating more videos, in hopes that they too will go viral. It’s a pursuit that takes a toll on him, his family, his girlfriend, his co-worker Eric (Kyle Hickey), and his best friend and viral video partner, Richard (Pat Thornton). Seven episodes are set for the show’s first season. The series obtained funding from Canada’s IPF (Independent Production Fund), along with Film Nova Scotia and the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation).

EVERYONE’S FAMOUS was inspired by the famous painting of a well-known character from Greek mythology whose hubris and over-ambitiousness ended up being his downfall. “I saw a painting of Landscape with the Fall of Icarus a while back and that inspired me to write about Donald. This guy who just wants fame so much but doesn’t really have the ability to get there. It’s not exactly parallel with Icarus, but it was enough to inspire me to write.” Bush also cites the works of TV creators Matthew Weiner (MAD MEN), Tom Fontana (ST. ELSEWHERE, HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREET), David Chase (THE SOPRANOS) and Vince Gilligan (BREAKING BAD) as among his creative inspirations.

Bush’s experience in the comedy field made it easy for him to find his talented cast, and their abilities to deliver hilarious performances came to the fore throughout the filming of the series this past January. “It was great to work with them since they all knew each other beforehand. That was something i really wanted to make happen. I wanted to make sure my cast knew each other so the cast had a pre-built connection.” However, filming each episode was not without its difficulties, primarily due to the weather. “We shot it (the show) in 6 days in the FREEZING cold winter. If we’re lucky enough to get a second season, we will shoot it in the summer.”

Amid all of Donald’s viral video antics, Bush feels that the character’s life ultimately comes down to a simple choice: “I guess if I could sum up (the) theme, it would be ‘what do you really want?’ Donald has to choose between fame and the love of his girlfriend.” Ultimately, while getting a few million or so views for his series wouldn’t hurt, Bush’s goals for the success of EVERYONE’S FAMOUS are simple: “I hope to get it finished, (and) maybe make people think twice before sharing a cat video? I hope people fall in love with the characters a little bit, so there’s room for season 2!”

ON THE WEB: www.everyonesfamous.ca

YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/user/every1sfamous

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/every1sfamous

TWITTER: @Every1sFamous